Police: Man Kidnapped 2 Modesto Girls And Took Them To a Nevada Casino

MODESTO (CBS13) – A man was arrested Tuesday on charges he kidnapped two girls in Modesto and took them to a Nevada casino, where he assaulted one of them.

According to numerous reports, it was a Facebook post by one of the girls that helped detectives zero-in on the man – identified as Nicholas Rider Wessel.

Police in Sparks, Nevada said they were contacted by Modesto Police Department detectives just before 8 p.m. Tuesday about a possible kidnapping investigation. Modesto Police said they had reason to believe that two juvenile girls were taken by a man to the Nugget casino in Sparks.

The man, Wessel, and the two girls – one them being 14-years-old – were soon found at the casino and were taken into custody for interviews, Sparks Police said.

In their interview, detectives found out that the two girls were runaways, with one of them knowing Wessel. Wessel is said to have convinced the two to come with him to Nevada, where he eventually sexually assaulted the 14-year-old.

Officers also said they found a camera belonging to Wessel that had numerous images of illegal images of children, including the 14-year-old girl.

Wessel was arrested on sexual assault, production and possession of child pornography, and two counts of kidnapping.